Advertising Bottoms Out

UK Beach Volleyball stars have found an intriguing new way to raise money and get attention. British players Shauna Mullin, 26, left, and Zara Dampney, 24, have struck a deal with the online bookmaker Betfair to place ads on the backs of their bikini bottoms.

To maximize attention, the ads will feature barcodes that, when snapped with a smartphone, will take users to the firm’s website. The codes will be tested at a tournament in London this week. A Betfair spokesperson said they were sure their advertising campaign “would be remembered”.

The two are currently ranked number 26 in the world and have a guaranteed Olympic spot when the UK hosts the games next year.

Still, The deal does seem at odds with the views expressed by the pair last week, when they pleaded that the sport be taken more seriously in Britain.

“Here in England we are still stuck at the stage where people think beach volleyball is about sex, not a sport,” Mullin said in an interview.

One hopes that the recent rash of nipple slips doesn’t inspire further expansion of the concept.

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